When does exchange of contracts occur in residential conveyancing in Lampton and am I required to attend the solicitors branch?
Where you are local to one of the conveyancing solicitors in Lampton you are invited in to sign documents. That being said, the law practices we work with supply a countrywide conveyancing service and provide just as comprehensive and professional a job for you when communicating with you digitally. The signing of the contract is not the point of no return. A signed contract is necessary for the solicitor to exchange contracts when the time is right, which is ordinarily shortly after signing. The exchange process is nowadays normally dealt with by telephone and can be very rapid, although where a lengthy "chain" is in play, since the process requires the relevant party's solicitor (not necessarily a conveyancing solicitor in Lampton)to be in the office at the appropriate time.
Can you clarify what the consequences are if my solicitor is removed from the Santander Conveyancing panel ahead of completing my conveyancing in Lampton?
The first thing to point out is that, this is a very rare occurrence. In most cases even where a law firm is removed off of a panel the lender would allow the completion to go ahead as the lender would appreciate the difficulties that they would place you in if you have to instruct a new solicitor days before completion. In a worst case scenario where the lender insists that you instruct a new firm then it is possible for a very good lawyer to expedite the conveyancing albeit that you may pay a significant premium for this. The analogous situation is where a buyer instructs a lawyer, exchanges contracts and the law firm is shut down by a regulator such as the SRA. Again, in this situation you can find lawyers who can troubleshoot their way to bring the conveyancing to a satisfactory conclusion - albeit at a cost.
What will a local search tell me about the house I am purchasing in Lampton?
Lampton conveyancing often commences with the submitting local authority searches directly from your local Authority or through a personal search company such as Searches UK The local search plays a central part in most Lampton conveyancing purchase; that is if you wish to avoid any unpleasant surprises after you move into your property. The search will provide information on, amongst other things, details on planning applications relevant to the premises (whether granted or refused), building control history, any enforcement action, restrictions on permitted development, nearby road schemes, contaminated land and radon gas; in all a total of thirteen subject areas.
How does conveyancing in Lampton differ for newly converted properties?
Most buyers of new build premises in Lampton approach us having been asked by the developer to sign contracts and commit to the purchase even before the house is finished. This is because new home sellers in Lampton usually purchase the land, plan the estate and want to get the plots sold off as they are building the properties. Buyers, therefore, will have to exchange contracts without actually seeing the house they are buying. To reduce the chances of losing the property, buyers should instruct conveyancers as soon as the property is reserved and mortgage applications should be submitted quickly. Due to the fact that it could be several months and even years between exchange of contracts and completion, the mortgage offer may need to be extended. It would be wise to use a lawyer who specialises in new build conveyancing especially if they are used to new build conveyancing in Lampton or who has acted in the same development.
I have just appointed agents to market my basement apartment in Lampton. Conveyancing has not commenced, however I have recently received a quarterly maintenance charge invoice – should I leave it to the buyer to sort out?
Your conveyancing lawyer is likely to suggest that you should clear the service charge as normal as all ground rent and maintenance payments will be apportioned on completion, so you should recover the relevant percentage by the purchaser for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most managing agents will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date, so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.
I am the proprietor of a a ground floor purpose built flat in Lampton. In the absence of agreement between myself and the landlord, can the Leasehold valuation Tribunal determine the amount due for a lease extension?
Where there is a missing landlord or where there is disagreement about what the lease extension should cost, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can apply to the LVT to calculate the premium.
An example of a Lease Extension decision for a Lampton premises is Ground Floor Flat 91 Bath Road in May 2009. in a case where the freeholder could not be traced, the Brentford County Court ordered that the Lease be surrendered in return for the grant of a new lease of the Premises at a premium determined by the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal. The tribunal concluded that the price payable by the Applicant for the new lease of the premises be £15,900 This case affected 1 flat. The unexpired term was 60.45 years.
How does one remove a deceased person's name from the title register for a property in Lampton?
If a Lampton property is co-owned and one of the owners passes away, the name will not immediately be removed from the title deeds. You are not required to amend the title as when it comes to a sale your lawyer would just be required to evidence as to the reason the other owner is missing from the conveyance, normally this is in the form of the probate documents.
With the aim of making the sale conveyancing simpler in the future you may arrange to have the deceased name erased from the title entries by submitting an application to the land registry with proof of the death. There is no land registry fee payable.